The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1887-04-28
Eloquent and Appreciative Tribute to the
Dead Hero by Gov. Foraker. P. Foster
On the Purposes of Political Clubs.
The Connecticut Army and Navy Club
Also Celebrates the Anniversary.
Mark Twain Delivers CharacteristicaIly
Humorous Speech-Commemor Exer-
cises at Washington and Elsewhere.
THE AaIERICUs CLUB.

Banquet-Gov. Foraker's Address
PTTTsBURG. April 2L-The banquet of the
Amercus Club, of Pittsburg, commemorating
the sixty anniversary of the birth of
General Grant, was held at the Monon gahela
House this evening. The club secured all the
second floor of the hotel, and the corridors and
to the dining hall were decorated in
elaborate style. In the banquet hall the tables
were arranged so as to represent the initials
~. S. G." On tho guests table an immense
bank of flowers was arranged, upon which the
mon ogram ~. s. g." was worked out On
name were prominent On the third table. at
either end, were the dates 1892" and 's1897,"
presented on backgrounds of flowers. On the
walls of the hall were portraits of Washington,
Lincoln. Garfield. Logan and prominent Re-
publican leaders in times past. The work Of
the florist was most artistic in every respect,
aud of all of the memorable events which have
occurred at this house. the one this evening has
not been surpassed.
Before the regular programme of the evening
had been commenced. an informal reception was
given to the distinguished guests who were pres
ent, among whom were Governor Foraker, OF
Ohio. Col. Fred Grant. Hon. Jno G. New, of In
disnapolis; Lieutenant governor Davies Secre-
tary of the Commonwealth G. W. Stone. and j.
P. Foster president of the New York Republican
Club. Governor Foraker and his wife were
called upon by many residents who did not at
tend the banquet.
When the guests and members of the club
reached the dining-hall Georges orchestra was
discoursing music; meanwhile, Mr.. H. S. Paul,
president of the Americus Club, extended a COR
dial welcome to those present.
1t was quite o'clock when the guests were all
seated at the table, and it was noticed that Gov
ernor Foraker of Ohio. the principal speaker of
the evening was assigned the same seat which
General Grant had occupied on the occasion of
the reception given to him on his return from
bis trip around the world.
Rev. T. j. Leake. pastor of the North-avenue
n. e. Church, Allegheny, invoked blessing,
and then the menu, which was elaborate in It's
character, was discussed. After the tables
had been cleared, President Paul called
order, and introduced Governor Foraker.
who responded to the toast. General Grant,
Aftes sketching the life Of the General from
early childhood until he was called to the COM
. mand of the Army of the Potomac, with which
the War of the Rebellion was closed, and during
his incumbency of the presidency for two terms,
Governor Foraker said:
ITO the last day that he was President the doc
trine continually proclaimed and fearlessly
kept to the forefront that, to every national
right. it was the duty of the national govern
ment to protect its citizens at home as we'll as
abroad One OF the last acts of his administra-
tion was to use the troops to protect the voters
Of South Carolina from intimidation and vo-
lence at the hands of the Ku-klux and the rifle
clubs of that State 1t was after his day before
any Republican countenanced the claim that if a
citizen Of State could not secure his rights un-
der the Constitution and laws of the United
States at the hands of the authorities of his
State, he was without remedy except only to mi
CRATE He had no patience with the idea that
the government should have unquestioned
right. as all concede, to go into anv State of the
Union and there lay it's hands upon any citizen
of the State and compel him to go forth and do
battle for it at the peril of his life and then be
powerless when its authority was duly invoked
to protect that citizen in every right the gov
ernment owed him, after he should be mustered
out of the service and be returned to his home.
He could not understand why the State lines
that were SO low and so easily crossed in the one
case should suddenly rise so high that they could
not DO crossed at all in the other. In other
words, General Grant was Republican.
HE believed in the Union and the Constitu-
ton. He believed in the United States of
America. He believed in the people of this
country. He believed in the dignity and eleva-
tion of labor. He believed in the development
| Of our resources. He believed this Nation ought
| TO be independent OF every other nation on the
| face of the earth. He believed Ia protective
tariff, and was less concerned about revenue re-
| form than he was to have enough protection to
| protect. But he believed first and above all in
! the rights of He believed in civil and
political equality and he believed in the practical
| enforcement of what was theoretically pro-
claimed and therefore it was that with all the
ardor of his soul he believed In free ballot and
| fair count and hated and despised, as he ought
hos ov,nln ~oA fnr r~At
| ent to the crime that would prevent them Gov
| erned by these great principles he gave to the
| country an administration of its civil affairs
which, considering the difficulties by which it
was beset and N measured by the comprehensive
scope of its duties and the brilliant results of it's
| achievements, stands among all peace
administrations without rival. 1t
| was a fit supplement and companion
| piece to bis military career. and placed him
| justly with Lincoln by the side of Washington.
And get he did not please everybody. On the
contrary, he shared the fate of all positive and
vigorous great men. He was thoroughly dis
| liked and hated in his time. In fact man
was ever more mercilessly criticised or more ma
| liciously and shamefuly slandered libeied and
| abused than he was at every step of Lis immortal
career. We were told that he was drunk at
| Shileh-crazy and failure in the trenches be-
! fore Vicksburg-that Mission Ridge an ac-
| cdent and that he was general, but only q
bloody butcher in the Wilderness; and, while he
was President. his enemies continually rallied
that he should not be. But when ne went abroad
his traducers were suddenly put to shame and
their vilification was hushed, and buried out OF
sight forever beneath the homage of a world
No place could be discovered where his fame had
not preceded him, and all around the globe not
one human being could be found who was
either high so low not TO account i,
great honor to meet and greet him. He
returned in the fullness os fame TO find his
| countrymen more devotedly attached to him
than ever before, not only because of the credit
reflected upon them by the honor that had beer
paid to him. but also, and more particularly, be
cause they had witnessed how, wherever hs
Travelled and however he might be honored, he
never failed to manifest genuine Romanlike
pride-not that ne had been great general whC
had led million men TO victory, nor that he hac
been the President of the United States, and al
such the civil ruler of fifty millions of people, but
that he was an American citizen.
THAT he was not third time called TO the
presidency was due 10 considerations that had
no relation whatever TO him personally. On tn,
contrary. he more securely en-
trenched in the affections of the American peo
pie than he at the Very moment when thu
historic fight of the 306 determined followers
ended ia defeat at Chicago 1t seemed rs thoagi
l he, nlr do, nvshtu f,aar 70 n